Hi everyone,

I'm looking to upgrade my intercooler at the moment I've got a Pace Twincore intercooler can any one tell me which order is the best front mount intercooler to go for = GRS Intercooler, Radtec Intercooler, Airtec Interccoler and Proalloy Intercooler in order in which is the best in your opinion. Thanks

 

ive got a radtec on mine mate and have no probs,my mate has an airtec and runs alot hotter than mine.

 

Ive got the Pace Chargecooler, had it now for 7 years and has never let me down. Doesnt cover up your rad like the full width intercoolers and less prone to pressure drop!

 

GRS with twin fans mounted on the radiator!

 

The Pace half-width one is only good for about 16-18psi tops. Thats not far ahead of the standard cooler IMO. I don't think you could measure the miniscule amount of pressure drop you'd get with a GRS at 18psi and weighing that up against its great cooling ability, I know what wins.

GRS is ACE. I am now trying something else, but that doesn't mean that I don't think the GRS is the most effective off-the-shelf cooler available for the RST.

(Mine will be up for sale shortly )

 

im on a grs and its mint i just need a second fan!

 

GRS would be my choice. Personaly I would'nt touch Airtec.
I know of an owner of a S2 that tried to improve upon the efficiency of his GRS Evo3 intercooler.
Switched to the Airtec and lost 80bhp @ the wheels YES at the wheels, SHOCKING!
He then had Graham make him a Single pass GRS but he sold his car before fitting it.

**edited** just to add the car was a 2.1 zvh running a T38 and a shed load of boost. Between fitting the airtec and finding out just how bad the airtec actualy was, he sold the GRS, so couldnt go back to what had worked well in the first place.

 

Well I'll throw my 2 pence into the ring.My GRS cooler has kept my charge air temps to 10c above ambient temp.Thats running full tilt on track on a 20 min session.Now thats very good going in my book!!I would'nt be hanging around either. Regards,Micky

 

Im going to try the airtec single pass cooler just to see if it works?!
Im not particularly fond of paying for something in full then receiving it a month later (GRS) and thats not a dig just my feelings

 

Thats a crud basis for a decision! LOL.

The Airtec will be fine as long as you don't measure and compare results. (I know if you did the GRS would win).

 

I went with the new style Airtec cooler recently...... they've now changed to a vertical single pass design, looks miles better then the old twin pass ones they used to sell.

 

Not really, i dont like shopping on the internet because you have to wait about a fortnight for your stuff to turn up, ild rather pay a tenner more etc and have it in your hands that day

Silly i know but im just impatient!

I think the airtec one should do the job well enough they seem confident on the phone if it doesnt it will go on the bay and then ill by a grs ! I also like the black finish on the airtec one

 

Pro-Alloy tried the vertical single-pass design. I tested it, it was poor. The air doesn't spend long enough in the tubes, because they are MUCH shorter. I love Pro-Alloys build-quality, but the vertical core just isn't good IMO.

 

GRS twin pass gets my vote

 

iv'e got the single pass airtec front mount on my series 1. ive had it running at 28psi with no problems. but its each to their own its whateva people have used before i supose? i used to have a pro alloy but didnt work well for me at all.

 

the single pass airtec works very well

 

Fair point but I'll just have to see how it goes......
Shorter tubes yes, but at least double the amount/same surface area hopefully should work out the same

 

I've tested it, it doesn't work out the same!

Sorry to sound stubborn. My Pro Alloy cooler was ALOT thicker than their normal one and still didn't work. Looked AMAZING, but the temps were alot worse than with the GRS.

 

any opinions on the radtec?

 

not being funny but if christian has tried and tested the best about and he is saying GRS are the best off the shelf then i think thats all that needs to be said. look at the time and effort he's put into research on his own rst over the years. i'm fairly confident he knows whats what.

regards


Tom

 

Thanks for that Tom, I would hate for people to think that I'm trying to say my way is the only way, but with Intercoolers, GRS really does seem to have it nailed.

 

ive had the pro alloy one and the GRS one,for looks and fit the pro alloy is the best,but for performance,the GRS is tonnes better,this time with the zetec turbo i went for something a little different,AVA one,fits behind my standard bumper and doesnt sit infront of the rad.

 

as pointed out with christian putting a lot of time and effot in 2 testing i think his chice will be far better any 1 no rought prices of the gra and a link cheers

 

i have a radtec item, i cannot comment on comparison to other 'coolers as i simply havent tried any. i bought this a few years back, when radtec was the only 1 i could feasibly afford (prices have dropped drastically since then dammit!)

what i will say is it appears to do its job perfectly well, and has good build quality. my only issue with it is the brackets set it back on to the rad, meaning the only option is for the fans to sit out front. i realise this was done to allow the fans to clear without bumper mods, and people say the fans out front works fine, but mine got quite hot, and i think id like to see how hot things got if i cud run the fans on the rad in between

 

I run a Radtec and again i have not don eany direct testing myself, but when i had it set up Chris at TOTD said they had done quite a bit of testing and it was on par with the GRS one.
So IMO.... GRS or Radtec is the way to go.

 

do you run your radtec with the fans out on front of the 'cooler, or have u managed to squeeze them in between the cooler and the rad?

iv been told u can space the cooler to create the space, but wen mocking it up, the brackets become so far out, the fouled the bumper and wud need a fair old wedge cut out to clear...

 

The fans out front, requires the intercooler and radiator to be very close together so that you can blow air through both of them, I run this setup and it works very well but it does depend upon how good the fans are.

The biggest problems with this setup are usually caused though a large gap between rad and intercooler or poor quality fans imho

 

that davie k's old one?
best intercooler ive seen for a rst yet,no pressure drop and never see's over 25 degrees act's
wish id went for this over my grs when i had my rs

 

As TurboCabbie says they go at the very front on the IC wth the Rad and IC as close together as possible, did not foul my bumper but as you can see my bumper is not a stock ford one!
This time of year temps sit at the very bottom of the 'Norm' are and rise to about midway at best. But my fans are on all the time so that probably makes a difference!

 

yes it is mate,best mod so far,like u say,the performance is superb

 

i have a radtec.and a small fan that is sat on the passenger side of radiator and then the intercooler in standard place at the front.i think it fits cos i only have the one fan instead of both.looks alot better with fans behind IMO.temp always sits at bottom of norm,never hardly rises.i think wot also helps is that as u look at the front with bumper fitted ,there is a gap of around 5 inches in the grill that lets fresh air get straight to radiator,cos the intercooler is sat more to the passenger side

 

orion crazy carl, as Jambo said in his post that particular AVA intercooler was VERY efficient on David's(T28's) S2.
Do bear in mind that his car made its power with reletivly low boost though.
Im not saying that it wont be as efficient, more it will be interesting to see how efficient should you be plannig on running loads of boost.

 

im running the silver airtec cooler but im not sure on single or double pss...just witing to get the car on the road to test it

 

im only running 20-23 psi,so i hope for similer results!
sadly have to wait till next year till i can find out,but will let u all know

 

if u are a goin to run over 30psi and 280- 350bhp i would use a grs , for around 200-250 i would use a single pass airtech

 

+1

Have used Pace, Radtec & GRS in the past, GRS easily the best. Can't comment on Airtec etc.

 

i was runnin 1 psi more and seeing around 30-35 act's flat out
davies cooler was still low/mid 20's on 16psi of boost

 

thts good to hear,and thts behind a bumper aswell!

 

so is the grs the one to go for ?

 

LOL. Yes!!